


Comfort

by PineTrain



Category: Gravity Falls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 07:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10986315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PineTrain/pseuds/PineTrain





	Comfort

_ Girl! You! Lookin’ so beautiful, _

_ I! Think! I'm gonna be beautiful (in love!) _

Mabel swatted her alarm clock hard enough to hear a light crunch as the plastic gave way under her assault. She had always loved cheesy boy bands, but there was no way anyone could like Boyz Bee Boyz horrifically awful songs. Autotuned to levels never before seen, sticking with a completely ridiculous black and yellow, fuzzy clothing theme, and, worst of all, having songs written worse than  _ My Boyfriend is a Century Old Virgin Stalker,  _ a feat previously believed impossible _.  _ It had to be some kind of corporate conspiracy that they got so much radio play, but at least her previous encounters with that sort of thing resulted in something enjoyable.

At least the instant revulsion their music inspired made for a great wake-up call. Her instincts’ protective response to her ears might have destroyed the alarm clock, but they had also brought her to full attention at an hour she'd normally be asleep.

Mabel blinked a few times as adrenaline faded and she shifted into a more normal state of awakeness. She yawned loudly and shook her head, trying to fight off the sleepiness that was attempting to reestablish itself. She had a project to finish by Friday, and even if it was only 4:00 AM Sunday, she was going to need all the time she could get for what she had planned.

It was still hard to shake that “blah, I’m tired” sensation, though, and she moved lethargically around her room to recover the various tools she'd need to begin. She was trying to cut down on the Mabel Juice shots after the May 23rd Incident, but surely it'd be fine to take just one, right?

Mabel exited her room and snuck quietly to the hallway closet. She had stashed her supply there, intending the distance to dissuade herself from its use. As she passed Dippers room, though, she heard a barely audible whimper.

She froze, looked at the door curiously, then slinked towards it. She set a hand lightly on it, contemplating on what she heard. A muffled moan seeped through the door and Mabel's eyebrows shot up. Was Dip masturbating?!  She pressed her ear to it and listened.

“Nm, nn, nmph!” quiet gasps seemed to confirm Mabel’s suspicion. “Mnn… no! Bill, no! Mabel!” Dipper muttered.

Her heart suddenly sank as she realized she was wrong. Mabel quickly grasped the handle of the door, catching herself before she tore it open, instead twisting the knob slowly, slipping in, and closing the door quietly.

Able to hear him directly now, Mabel noticed his fretful movements. Dipper was actually whimpering quite a bit. The door must have blocked the sound more than she thought. He was periodically moaning as he shifted on the bed and his face was contorted despite the deep sleep.

Mabel quickly shuffled over and knelt beside him, very worried. He seemed to be having a very bad nightmare. She gently grasped his shoulder. “Dipper,” she whispered with a light shake. He didn't wake up. 

She tried again, and his eyes snapped open as he took in a deep gasp of air. He looked around wildly until his eyes settled on Mabel. There was a moment's pause before he rolled his body towards her and yanked her into a deep hug.

“M-mabel! Mabel…” he said shakily.

She could only respond with a cough. Having been surprised by his sudden action, she didn't have a chance to breathe in before his hug crushed her lungs. She managed to catch a breath as his grip loosened from its initial vise and hugged him back. She could say something now, but thought it better to wait while he calmed down.

Eventually, he began pulling back and they released each other, though Dipper’s hand lingered on her shoulder. He stared at her for a bit, then smiled despite a slight shimmer in his eyes. Sitting up, he scooted over to make room and Mabel joined him on he bed. The sat against his headboard and leaned against each other, lacing their fingers together.

“You alright?”

“Heh, yeah, just another nightmare.”

It wasn't his first, and his voice carried a slight tone of exasperation. As if the nightmare was just part of an annoying routine. There was pain in it too, though. The stress of the experience making each one scratch open old wounds that stubbornly refused to heal. She even caught a sense of resignation in it. The subtle fear that this was how things would always be, and it was time to just accept it.

Mabel squeezed his hand, very familiar with all those emotions from her own nightmares. They had been through a lot in their young lives, and most of their adventures had been fun. But that first summer in Gravity Falls weighed on them, sneaking it's ugly presence in from time to time when least expected. There were a lot of good times during it, and Mabel hated how the bad ones tended to darken her memories as the years passed.

She released his hand and rolled over so she sat across his lap. Dipper lay his head against her and she ran her fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp as he listened to her breathe. He held her tightly around her back as they clasped their free hands together.

“It was here this time,” Dipper said, “Not Gravity Falls. Here. That was what was so bad.”

Mabel felt his fingers grip her a little more. She stopped scratching to lay her cheek on his head.

“It was just confusing, I guess. Like, I sort of know it's a dream when it's Gravity Falls, but it was here. Our home. Maybe it's because everything looked exactly the same as what I just saw yesterday, but it was so REAL…” He shuddered. “When you woke me up, I thought I was still in the dream. It was MY bed, MY room, why wouldn't I still be in it? I guess I should have noticed I wasn't in the living room anymore, but eh…”

He gave a dry laugh, attempting to mock his mistake to distract from the vivid imagery he clearly still saw. Mabel held his head a little closer as he sighed. She tried not to wonder what exactly had been happening in the living room when she woke him.

She leaned a little away and reached around his neck to guide his chin up. She smiled, then kissed his forehead. He smiled too, though a little weaker than he probably wanted to. She didn't need to say anything. She'd said everything she could the last dozen times they'd been like this, after all. Maybe it was better this way, though. A silent understanding of each others pain and the knowledge that they'd get through it together eventually.

They lingered a bit before Mabel kissed his forehead again and they shifted into their usual position after a nightmare. This time, Dipper would be the Big Spoon, so he could feel her in his arms, know she was there for him. If it had been her nightmare, the positions would reverse.   
It was Sunday, so they’d sleep in. They had no obligations today like school or work and could simply enjoy each others presence until they felt like getting up. Dipper squeezed Mabel and she smiled a bit as her eyes closed. She drifted back to sleep, her project insignificant compared to her brother.


End file.
